DOT Physical?

I've heard so many good things about it! I think I'll give it a shot soon. I haven't had time for Saul because I've been too busy writing essays on trucker report.

 

It's still a CDL because you are in a truck transporting property for wages and for commerce owned by a provider of motor carrier services.

If you take any medicine for that anxiety such as xanax it's disqualifying you, also the mental health questions will cause many if not all companies not to hire you. They wont deal with you. And if you are and had a history of Epilepsy you cannot drive a big truck. If you are taking medicine for it you probably cannot do any safety related work being disqualified by same.

You might as well settle down at home on your nice porch with your family and continue your medicines, From what I can see you are properly disabled and should not be trying to get into a sensitive public safety type work such as trucking even if it is a local delivery, it is still under Federal oversight. And the states and the local laws too.

I would think you don't need the stress of actual working for wages to aggravate your existing problems. Go to the Social Security Administration and file for SSdI and SSi. Chances are you will be approved. Just remember that once approved (Takes about a year and two or three refiles and maybe a visit to the administrative judge) your medicare enrollment will be delayed about 2 plus years from date of enrollment as a worker who is no longer in any work force. You are however allowed to work for a little bit part time so you don't feel completely useless. Roughly about 200 in wages before they start taking away your benefit one dollar every two each month.

Keep in mind that SS is running out of it's ability to send checks to everyone around the USA, in about 5 years or less there will be a forced reduction of between 24% to 31% in all benefit payouts including retirees who are in regular SS at 62 and older regardless of age. This reduction will take place across the board in the entire system of every single benefit check paid each month. It will be a pernament reduction and no back pay is possible. So 24% of 1000 in SS check cuts it down to 800. With standard COLA increases between 1.2% to 4% per year you will get back to your 1000 dollar pay out roughly 7 to 15 years after the minimum of 24% cut in benefits are made a few years from now.

Congress can fix that problem pernamently with one simple act. Double the withholding for SS from every active worker. So if you have 15 dollars withheld for SS each week (*It's your money anyway you will get it back and then some at 62 or older or disabled etc) it will become a 30 dollar withholding and that will be sufficient to resolve ALL of SS's money drain and make them actually profitable. The key is to find out if congress does have the backbone or the will to actually do it.

Im already getting ready to have that income cut at least 24% in a couple years myself, Im a medically retired trucker who are taking medicines that already disqualify me from trucking for physical wear and tear on the body, if anyone has a new spine built at the factory, call me up and install it. I would be more than happy to get back to making money hand over fist rather than live on the pittance I get these days. And to see it further cut 24%? Im making ready for that little problem by reducing Debt to zero where possible. So that they can reduce it that much and I don't care. I'll still have the same standard of living. I do worry about others in my building who cannot live on any less than they are getting and when they too get cut, it's going to probably kill them in some form. Like actual suicide or something.

But enough about me and my troubles, Ive already explained about my problems medically often in the past. Your issues in mental health with the seizures etc, anxiety (And xanax etc) most certainly disqualify you from CDL driving of big trucks and small. There is no one who will dare hire you with the problems you are having, so you are properly medically disabled as far as I am concerned.

 

Lmao!

 

OK all the crap aside in this thread - too much misinformation and not understanding of the laws/regulations will cause you too much confusion.

Here is the thing.

If you are taking a Carbamazepine based drug, which if I remember right is one of only two drugs used to treat epileptic seizures and bipolar disorder, do not stop taking it - period. Do not treat this as a med like Neurotin which is used for epileptic seizures and back issues - this is a different situation and a different drug.

The drug I mention if used just for seizures will disqualify you. This is because any drug used for it, will disqualify you.

Seizures are a serious thing and driving a 40 ton truck and having one can kill a lot of people while doing a lot of damage BUT because it isn't being used for Seizures, you will most likely not have an issue with an examiner.

SO here is what you need to know about the physical and privacy and all of that rot.

The DOT examiner will ask you for a list of drugs, you will be required to list them, the date, the prescribing physician. Also on the form it will a questionnaire and you have to answer honestly because that examiner can confirm it by calling up your doc (we will touch on privacy in a bit).

On that questionnaire, question number two is about seizures and this is where the drug you take will come into the picture, they have to confirm that you are not taking it for that, so you will be asked about this and why you marked no as part of their investigation.

Question number 14 will ask you about "Anxiety, depression, nervousness, other mental health problems", which you have to answer honestly and again you will be asked about that too, with the name of a treating physician and so on.

DO NOT LIE, what ever you do DO NOT LIE especially with FedEx, they will terminate you in a second (well that is force the owner to do that and they will do as they are told).

Now here is the other part, your medical records are an open book to the examiner, he/she has the right to look at them if they are needed to be used for a judgement on your qualifications and you have no choice but to allow that to happen.

As I have had to deal with this issue for myself and my little fleet, I have had solid legal advice by those who actually make their profession in this area of medical privacy. On top of that, I also have a very thorough background in the drug and medical field with a lot of practical knowledge on the ADA and HIPAA. So what I tell you is as close as you can get other than talking to a lawyer yourself.

HIPAA does not apply to DOT examiners at the point of the investigation (the company can call up and ask questions based on their records of how the judgement was made to qualify the driver), however they do apply to the clinics and medical people who touch the information but not the actual examiner during his/her judgement (remember this is just a judgement for qualifying you to drive based on limited knowledge of your condition at that time and your records). The privacy that is covered is disclosure to the public, not the three parties involved - company, examiner and you.

The discussion between the examiner and a treating person (could be any number of type of people) for an problem is legal as long as the information is not disclosed to the public. It can however be disclosed to the company and that is because all DOT physicals are legally exempt from the privacy laws that are in HIPAA, ADA and Obama care, this is because these laws all have to recognize the constitutional duty of regulating interstate commerce. This means that the regulations on company keeping on record of your qualifications to drive allows them to make sure there is a valid DOT physical on record and that means the long form with all of the information - HIPAA doesn't cover the company and the care of those records due to the exemption.

Why would it cover the clinics (as I stated before) but not the company?

That is because the clinic does other things and does have other requirements because of those other things they do.

My advice is to ask your treating physician if you can drive, if he says yes then go to a place that offers dot physicals and ask them what is needed with your condition in the way of records or information and then apply to FedEx.

 

I got my reply from my friend at FedEX about 30 minutes ago. Once you turn in the physical long form (and your job will be dependent of this) the company will review it. However if the Medical Examiner certifies you fit and there is nothing else you will be extended a job offer. I was told the Medical Examiner is required to make any statement's used to determine fitness a part of the record and the company will want a copy. You can not hide this in medical privacy. If you attempt to do so you WILL NOT be offered a job. End of story! This is WRITTEN POLICY!

 

Most people can understand and empathize with an apparent disability. I was down in Sacramento a few weeks ago and saw a man panhandling at an intersection. He was a burn victim, very severely burned and disfigured. As he approached the car, my children became very scared and uncomfortable. I had to explain to them that this man is just like us. His outward appearance is unsettling because he has endured something horrific and unimaginable. I told my kids, this man is not a monster and feels and thinks exactly as we do. For some reason, it is a primitive mechanism to marginalize the disabled person, to misunderstand them, and to try to segregate them... I still didn't give him change.

I'm telling you Mopar, you shouldn't feel any stigma. Give them the middle finger when they try to tell you, you are incapable on some level. Bipolar disorder is unique... It's one hell of a ride. After having a fight with my girlfriend one night, I ended up in San Diego about 400 miles from home. Then I ended up on a trolly that took me to San Isidro. I walked across this pedestrian bridge into Tijuana and stayed in some ####ty hotel on Avenida Constitucion for 4 days. Got sent to secondary inspection on my way back because the customs agent couldn't believe I went to Tijuana by myself. I'd have to be 1) smuggling illegal things into the USA, or 2) completely insane to go to Tijuana by myself. I will subscribe to the latter.

You take care of yourself man...

 

I totally agree. Way too much (opinion) and little if any real understanding of the law and the rules truckers drive under. I fully agree with your post, but think these words are the most important to @Mopar412 and any other person taking medications. You can't hide behind medical privacy laws when it comes to FMCSA rules in regard to driver fitness. Do what the Medical Examiner instructs you to do and make ALL information on long form available to company including supporting documentation, and stop listening to advice saying the opposite.